Snapshots of Memories
by JosiahGirl
Summary: It's here, the long awaited beginning to the life of Kit Oberg. *Now Complete*
1. Of Tag and Bees

It was one of the rare warm afternoons of early. Two towheaded children sat on the wooden porch outside a moderate sized farmhouse. The girl's hair was braided in pigtails and she was playing with the end of one. The boy sat scowling his shaking the blonde curls his mom had just finished cutting. After their hair cuts Sarah and Rose had shoved Ami and Craig out the door to play.   
  
"Craig watch her don't go running off, Ami is only 3 and you have to be nice to her." Rose told Craig as they sat on the porch.   
"She's a girl, can't she stay with you?" Craig pouted giving Ami a dirty look as he spoke.  
  
"No now be nice and you can have some milk and corn bread." Rose decided to try to bribe her young son.  
"Okay, come on baby we going to go play with Rory." Craig grabbed Ami's hand but she pulled back.  
  
"Ise not baby." Her lower lip stuck out.   
"Okay you not a baby but we gonna play with Rory."   
"Fine. Play with Rory." Ami started to walk after Craig as they walked toward the large dog sitting next to the open barn door.   
  
Rory, a big, but gentle, mixed breed dog, was not as thrilled as either child was, but being an older dog took the attention that they lavished upon him. But soon both children were tired of the game of playing with the dog. "Ami wanna play tag?" Craig figured that he could win.  
  
"Sure." Ami grinned and began running. Craig was surprised how fast she was able to run and soon they had traded back and forth who was it a couple of time. Ami went to sit down next to the woodpile a little out of breath. Craig came and sat down next to her. They didn't stay seated for long though. Ami screamed first and Craig soon raised his voice in chorus.   
  
Sarah and Rose ran out of the house, water dripping from their hands when they saw Ami and Craig both bit back screams of their own. There sat Ami and Craig surrounded by a swarm of bees. By this time Lawrence and Sid had heard their kids screams and had come racing in from the field with 7 year old Crale behind them. Sid and Larry grabbed both children from where they sat, stripped them, beat off the bees and raced over to the water pump. Sid had Crale pump as much water as he could while they smothered the children in mud trying to cool the stings of the bees.   
  
It took some time but soon both Ami and Craig had stopped screaming and stood covered from head to toe in mud. All that stood out was their eyes and the tips of their noses. Ami's green eyes filled with tears when she saw Sarah's sniffling face. Craig was taking it all like a man and hadn't cried since the mud had been slapped on to the welts. They stood like that in the yard until the mud dried. Then slowly and carefully Sarah and Rose began to peal off the dried dirt and wash their skin before putting on a mustard poultice.   
  
Sid and Larry went to work clearing out the bees nest from the wood pile and while they didn't say it both Rose and Sarah were excited at the prospect of having honey, even if it had been at the pain of their children. Ami and Craig on the other hand were soon tucked into their beds and carefully monitored. After the original swelling went down neither did seem worse for wear but when ever they went outside they were careful to avoid the wood pile.   
  
Soon even the fears of being stung left the minds of the two children as they played in the early fall day. Craig was a bit excited, as it was his first year of school. Ami on the other hand wasn't as excited. She was losing her playmate and would be left at home with only her baby brother Wil as company. This really didn't appeal to her at all she saw him as a nuisance rather than a playmate and was quite instant that she should be able to go to school with the big boys.   
  
Her mama promised when she was 5 she could go, but that was forever from now so Ami clung to Craig's side like glue and never let him out of her sight for a minute. She did want him disappearing before she could say goodbye. She also didn't think it was fair. She and Craig had done everything together why couldn't she go to school with him. Unfortunately, for Ami the day did come when her best friend had to leave for school.   
  
Mama and Aunt Rose tried to make it better by letting her help out around the house, but Ami liked that even less. Finally Mama said it was time for the boys to come home, Ami raced to the lane and waited till the boys came over the hill before launching herself at them both and demanding that they tell her everything. Crale swung her up onto his shoulders while Craig went on and on about his first day.   
  
Ami was happy that they didn't seem to forget about her, and soon was demanding that Craig teach her want he had learned. Soon the student became the teacher and by the time it was finally Ami's turn to go with the boys off to school and leave behind Wil she was ready to start. Not only was she excited at the prospect of new friends, but she was also going to get to learn all the fun stuff Craig and Crale got to learn too.   
It was one of the rare warm afternoons of early. Two towheaded children sat on the wooden porch outside a moderate sized farmhouse. The girl's hair was braided in pigtails and she was playing with the end of one. The boy sat scowling his shaking the blonde curls his mom had just finished cutting. After their hair cuts Sarah and Rose had shoved Ami and Craig out the door to play.   
  
"Craig watch her don't go running off, Ami is only 3 and you have to be nice to her." Rose told Craig as they sat on the porch.   
"She's a girl, can't she stay with you?" Craig pouted giving Ami a dirty look as he spoke.  
  
"No now be nice and you can have some milk and corn bread." Rose decided to try to bribe her young son.  
"Okay, come on baby we going to go play with Rory." Craig grabbed Ami's hand but she pulled back.  
  
"Ise not baby." Her lower lip stuck out.   
"Okay you not a baby but we gonna play with Rory."   
"Fine. Play with Rory." Ami started to walk after Craig as they walked toward the large dog sitting next to the open barn door.   
  
Rory, a big, but gentle, mixed breed dog, was not as thrilled as either child was, but being an older dog took the attention that they lavished upon him. But soon both children were tired of the game of playing with the dog. "Ami wanna play tag?" Craig figured that he could win.  
  
"Sure." Ami grinned and began running. Craig was surprised how fast she was able to run and soon they had traded back and forth who was it a couple of time. Ami went to sit down next to the woodpile a little out of breath. Craig came and sat down next to her. They didn't stay seated for long though. Ami screamed first and Craig soon raised his voice in chorus.   
  
Sarah and Rose ran out of the house, water dripping from their hands when they saw Ami and Craig both bit back screams of their own. There sat Ami and Craig surrounded by a swarm of bees. By this time Lawrence and Sid had heard their kids screams and had come racing in from the field with 7 year old Crale behind them. Sid and Larry grabbed both children from where they sat, stripped them, beat off the bees and raced over to the water pump. Sid had Crale pump as much water as he could while they smothered the children in mud trying to cool the stings of the bees.   
  
It took some time but soon both Ami and Craig had stopped screaming and stood covered from head to toe in mud. All that stood out was their eyes and the tips of their noses. Ami's green eyes filled with tears when she saw Sarah's sniffling face. Craig was taking it all like a man and hadn't cried since the mud had been slapped on to the welts. They stood like that in the yard until the mud dried. Then slowly and carefully Sarah and Rose began to peal off the dried dirt and wash their skin before putting on a mustard poultice.   
  
Sid and Larry went to work clearing out the bees nest from the wood pile and while they didn't say it both Rose and Sarah were excited at the prospect of having honey, even if it had been at the pain of their children. Ami and Craig on the other hand were soon tucked into their beds and carefully monitored. After the original swelling went down neither did seem worse for wear but when ever they went outside they were careful to avoid the wood pile.   
  
Soon even the fears of being stung left the minds of the two children as they played in the early fall day. Craig was a bit excited, as it was his first year of school. Ami on the other hand wasn't as excited. She was losing her playmate and would be left at home with only her baby brother Wil as company. This really didn't appeal to her at all she saw him as a nuisance rather than a playmate and was quite instant that she should be able to go to school with the big boys.   
  
Her mama promised when she was 5 she could go, but that was forever from now so Ami clung to Craig's side like glue and never let him out of her sight for a minute. She did want him disappearing before she could say goodbye. She also didn't think it was fair. She and Craig had done everything together why couldn't she go to school with him. Unfortunately, for Ami the day did come when her best friend had to leave for school.   
  
Mama and Aunt Rose tried to make it better by letting her help out around the house, but Ami liked that even less. Finally Mama said it was time for the boys to come home, Ami raced to the lane and waited till the boys came over the hill before launching herself at them both and demanding that they tell her everything. Crale swung her up onto his shoulders while Craig went on and on about his first day.   
  
Ami was happy that they didn't seem to forget about her, and soon was demanding that Craig teach her want he had learned. Soon the student became the teacher and by the time it was finally Ami's turn to go with the boys off to school and leave behind Wil she was ready to start. Not only was she excited at the prospect of new friends, but she was also going to get to learn all the fun stuff Craig and Crale got to learn too.   
  
AN: The bee thing is real, I have the fear of bees to prove it. Well actually Craig's mom drove my mom, me and Craig to the clinic to get checked out, we didn't get slathered in mud. That I stole from one of the Little House Books, I am not sure which one though. No infringement was meant. 


	2. First Day of School

It was the first day of school and children from all over the area were trekking to the one room schoolhouse that had served the community for many years. It was Ami's first day and she was very excited skipping circles around her cousins. She was finally getting to do something her brother Wil couldn't do, at least not for another two years and she was quite happy with that. Crale rolled his eyes at the girl's excitement. "You know it ain't all that fun, we don't get to be outside at all and the desks give you splinters."  
  
"So I get to go to school, you guys already taught me my letters and I can count to 10. 1-2-3-5-6-7-9-10." Ami looked very proud with her self even though she had missed a couple of numbers.  
  
Craig felt it was his duty to point that out. "Hey Stupid you didn't do it right. It is 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10. Mr. Larson makes you sit in the corner if you don't learn your lessons, I bet you'll be there a lot."   
  
Ami stuck out her lower lip, "I'm telling Aunt Rose you called me Stupid, and Mr. Larson won't make me sit in the corner, he likes me."   
  
"That's only at church, at school he is a really mean guy." Craig decided that it would be fun to frighten his little cousin. "If you talk out of turn in class he slaps you with a ruler or if you are really bad he'll take you outside and switch you."   
  
Ami's eyes got huge and filled with tears, Crale had enough, "Craig stop it she don't need to go there scared. If you keep this up I'll tell Pop then you will get it."   
  
Ami looked up at Crale as she moved closer and grabbed his hand. She smiled huge showing off her small white teeth. She was very lucky she had a big cousin like Crale to protect her from the bullies and no one not even Craig, was going to be able to hurt her. Craig looked ashamed and reached out a hand to Ami.  
  
"I am sorry I was just playing with you, okay? You ain't gonna tell Ma are you?"  
Ami looked as if she was considering then slowly said, "I guess I won't tell Aunt Rose, but if you do it again I will."   
  
"Good." He would have said more but the sounding of the bell cut him off.   
Crale reached down and grabbed Ami's "You better run fast or we're gonna be really late." They took off running and made it in just as Mr. Larson was closing the door.  
  
"Well good morning Crale, Craig, it is so good that you made it on time." Some of the other children snickered, a look from Mr. Larson stilled them. "Well you know your seats please take them." Both boys hung up their hats and placed their lunch pail on the shelf. "So Ami Oberg, you can put your hat there and go sit next to Angie. She is going to be your seat mate."   
  
Ami nodded and stood on her toes to put her bonnet on the peg next to her cousin's hats. She then walked over to where Mr. Larson had indicated and sat next to a girl she assumed was Angie.   
  
"Now class I want to welcome you back to a new school year, as many of you know this is my last year here. I have been called to go teach in Manitoba, as the school board hasn't found a new teacher yet those of you who want to continue your education will be able to do so in Lincoln. Let's begin. We will say the 23rd Psalm and the Lord's Prayer."   
  
Ami was a bit confused, neither Craig nor Crale had said anything about having to recite something before class even stated. She stood with the rest of the class discretely as possible turning her head to glare at Craig for not warning her of this, then turning her eyes to the front and slowly reciting the required passages along with her classmates. After Mr. Larson had prayed a short prayer he motioned for all the students to sit down.  
  
"First class please come forward the rest of you take out your spellers and begin to memorize this weeks list of words on page 6." Ami and the other 4 children in her class slowly made their way up to Mr. Larson's desk. "Since this is your first day of school I am going to tell you a couple of rules that will make everything go a lot smother for you.   
  
First; if you are late you will be kept inside at recess, today is an exception. Second if you don't finish your lessons for the day I expect you to either; stay after and finish them, or to take them home and finish them there. Third I do not accept misconduct, there will be no note passing, you can whisper but only to your seat mate if they are done, failure to do obey this will mean you have to sit on the other side of the class room.   
  
Today we are going to see how much you already know. I want you to take your slates and write out as many letters, numbers and words that you already know. You can go back to your seats."   
  
Ami and the others slowly filed back to their seats and Ami reached for the slate her mother had giving her. Just before she could get it though, Angie picked it up and started using it. "Hey that's mine."  
"It's mine now."   
  
"Give it back, my mama gave it to me. She used it when she was my age." Ami grabbed the slate and pulled on it.  
"Have her get you another one princess this one is mine." Angie pulled harder not giving Ami and inch.   
  
"Give me back my slate." Ami's voice rose with each word. Angie resisted and a small scuffle broke out.   
Mr. Larson came over then, pulling the pair apart as he cleared his throat. "Girls what is the meaning of this?"   
  
Ami looked at him, "Angie took my slate and says it's hers now."   
"She's lying my pa gave me this slate it was my ma's when she was my age." Angie protested throwing in a few fake tears.   
"Ami? Is this true?" Mr. Larson raised an eyebrow.  
  
"It's my slate, my mama gave it to me. She scratched her name onto it when she was in school, see there it says Sarah Joanne Michelin." Ami pointed to the back of the slate where in very shaky letters the name was scratched.   
  
"I see well then Angie I believe we need to have a small talk about taking other's property." Mr. Larson motioned for Angie to stand and then walked over to his desk. They spoke in low tones then he led Angie to her new seat in the boys' section.   
  
Ami finished her lesson very quickly, she had remembered all of her letters and had even gotten all the numbers straight. She began to write out the simple words her mother had taught her over the summer and soon began to doodle on the back of the slate. She decided that school wasn't as much fun as she had thought, maybe she could get Mama to teach her at home.   
  
Ami was brought back to the classroom by Mr. Larson clearing his throat, "Miss Oberg, I dismissed the class for recess, will you be joining them?" Ami blushed and got up from her chair and went outside to the playground.   
  
"Short stuff what did you do now? I thought everyone liked recess." Craig walked over to Ami as she stepped out of the schoolhouse. She gave him a dirty look and went over to sit in the shade of the building.  
  
"I didn't do nothing. I just didn't hear Mr. Larson say it was time for recess that's all." Ami tried to brush it off like it was no big deal.  
"Oh okay well don't miss the bell ending recess or it means trouble for you." Craig said trying to be helpful.   
  
"I know that," Ami wrinkled her nose at her older cousin leaning against the building. Two older girls walked up then, both giggling behind their hands.   
  
"Can we sit here?" The older one asked.  
"Go ahead." Ami glanced at them before closing her eyes.  
  
"How did you get Craig Swanson to talk to you?" The younger girl asked, as she looked at the boy in question.  
"Get him to talk to me? He is my cousin." Ami looked at the two girls skeptically.  
  
"Oh, well I am Kristy and this is Jenny. So what are they like? Craig and Crale." Kristy asked.  
  
"They're boys, they like hiking and swimming and finding bugs and stuff." Ami said matterefactly. The other two girls paled a bit but before they could respond a cry of "Heads up" was heard and a ball hit the wall near Ami's head.   
  
"Hey can you throw that over here?" Ami looked to where the boys were playing ball and picked up the ball as if to toss it to the guy coming near her, but suddenly she whipped the hand with the ball and neatly got it out to Crale who caught it with a smile. The boys looked at the pint sized girl in surprise as Mr. Larson rang the bell to end recess.   
  
The boy who had been coming for the ball came up to Ami as they trouped toward the building, "How fast can you run?"   
Ami shrugged, "Pretty fast."   
"Can you catch as well as you throw?"   
"Yeah, Crale taught me over the summer."   
The guy whistled low in appreciation, "You wanna play ball with us at lunch."   
  
Ami thought for a moment then broke into a huge grin, "Sure."   
"Jeremy Olson."   
"Ami Oberg."   
"Okay well you're gonna be on my team." Ami smiled as she sat back in her chair. Maybe school wouldn't be all that bad after all. 


	3. Waking up the Dreamers

Spring had finally come to the small community of New Ceresco Nebraska. It had been a hard winter and many of the older residents worried over the river flooding again like it had 30 years ago. The children of the settlement didn't worry, they more anxious about school being over and getting to run around barefoot and play in the sun. School finally ended and now were the holidays.  
  
It was a gorgeous Saturday morning and Ami was very excited as she skipped across the road to go see Craig. Her mama had just told her that next year she was going to Lincoln to go to school, and not only that but mama was also going to have a baby. She thought that Wil was all and good but she wanted a baby sister, someone she could boss around a lot better than Wil and some one that could play with her when the boys decided to leave her alone.   
  
She walked up the stairs and petted the dog as she let herself into the house. She walked through the kitchen and stopped to talk to her aunt. "Are they up yet?"   
  
"I don't know you want to go wake them up for me?" Rose smiled at her niece who was bobbing her head up and down at the prospect of waking the boys. The house itself was very old, her uncle Sid had helped his father build it when he was Crale's age and it had 2 floors and a cellar where Rose kept her canned goods. The boys' bedroom was up on the second floor. Ami climbed up the stairs skipping the ones she knew squeaked and snuck quietly into the boys' room.   
  
The boys were sleeping in their beds soundly. A soft snore was coming from Craig and a not so soft one escaped from Crale, Ami wondered how Craig could sleep through that but figured they had been sharing a room as long as she could remember. She pondered which one to awaken first. She sat and thought for a good 3 minutes then made her decision, Craig was the harder sleeper, so if Crale decided to yell when she woke him Craig wouldn't hear it and Crale would help wake him up.   
  
Ami walked over to Crale's bed and slowly climbed up onto it. She rose to her knees, and pondered how to do this. Her eyes lit up with an idea and she stood then suddenly two arms came and grabbed her she screeched and suddenly she was being tickled. She squealed and tried to get away from the tickling hands. The arms pulled her close and Crale's voice was in her ear. "Morning Kitten."  
  
"Cray let me go." Ami struggled against the older boy's arms.   
"Nope cause you were gonna jump on me weren't you?"   
  
"No, I just waking you up like your mama said I could."   
"But Kitten you were gonna jump on me weren't you?" Crale turned Ami around in his arms setting her on to his lap.  
  
Ami looked down and then nodded, "Yes but you were snoring something awful I figured I should wake you up before you woke up Craig." She stuck out her lip, which caused Crale to laugh.   
  
"That's cause I knew you were coming, come on lets wake him up." Crale set Ami down and led her over to the pitcher. He pantomimed out what they were going to do and Ami started to giggle before slapping her hands over her mouth. Crale picked up the pitcher and they went over to the still sleeping boy's form. Ami leaned down to Craig's ear and began to speak in a barely audible whisper, "Swan you need to get up now." She then stood up, "Don't think he's getting up."   
  
Crale shrugged, "Oh well guess we have to drench him." He spoke as he poured the half full jug onto Craig's face. Craig came up sputtering and both of the other children made a break for it running down stairs and to the kitchen table for breakfast. Craig came down stairs a couple minutes later wiping shaking out his hair and a dirty look on his face, directed at the other two kids, who were laughing out right.   
  
He took his bowl of oatmeal and scowled at Crale. Rose went to go check on the laundry outside and Craig finally spoke, "Just you wait Crale. I will get you."   
  
"Sure little brother when Kitten here gets her first boyfriend."   
Ami screwed up face, "Eeewwww boys are gross."   
"It will before that just watch your back." Craig threatened.   
  
Rose came back in and all the conversation stopped. She noticed that the children were all so quiet and began to talk to Ami. "So Ami how did the last day of school go for you?"   
  
Ami made a face, "It was okay, Mr. Larson said if he was going to be here next year that I would be having my lessons with Craig's class."   
  
"Really? What does Sarah think of that?" Rose was curious, they had known about Craig and Crale teaching Ami to read but hadn't thought it would mean she could skip 2 years of school.   
  
Ami shrugged and moved the oatmeal around. "Mama says she wants me to stay with kids my age. Oh guess what Craig." Ami turned to her cousin who just grunted at her. She stuck out her tongue. "I am gonna be going to school in Lincoln with you and Cray."   
  
Craig got a duh look, "No kidding, where else would you go to school."   
"No I am gonna go with you, when you go next week." Ami looked extremely excited.  
  
"What? You are like 5 and much too little to go to Lincoln with us."   
"I am 6. And I ain't too little, mama says I am going with." Ami raised her nose superiorishly.   
"No you aren't I ain't gonna take care of a 6 and a 7 year old, Ma." Crale protested.  
  
"Yes you are, Sarah and I discussed it. Come this fall there will be no time for Lawrence or your father to take Ami into Lincoln. You will take care of them both." Rose said to her son.   
"I am almost 8." Craig pouted.  
  
"Not yet you ain't. What are we gonna do with her? We can't have her following us everywhere." Crale tried to point out.  
  
"Figure it out, Mr. Jacobson was nice enough to give you boys jobs as newspaper boys I am sure he won't mind letting Ami help." Rose tried to sooth Crale's pride. "Now go get dressed, and do your chores and maybe your Papa will let you go swim."  
  
Both boys ran upstairs to get changed, the idea of going to swim was reason enough to get the chores done. Ami sat at the table eating a piece of bread, waiting for them to get back down so she could follow them around. She was supposed to help them plant the garden that her mama and Rose shared and was already dressed for it. Soon all three children were out to at the garden plot, doing assigned duties.   
  
The brown earth had been turned over by their fathers the week before and was already sun warmed and felt good to their bare feet. Crale went first making the rows with Ami following behind dropping seeds into the earth. Craig brought up the rear covering the seed with dirt and tapping it down. They planted 10 rows of sweet corn, 3 rows of beans, half a row of pumpkins and some melons, they also planted a row of cucumbers. Next was to work on weeding and turning earth in the herb garden. They were half way through the herb garden when the lunch bell rang. And they took their tools out of the garden and ran for the house.   
  
Sarah had brought Wil over to the other house and she and Rose had made lunch for the children. It was just bread and bacon but to the famished children it was a feast. They got fresh milk and the bread was slathered in butter. When they were done Sarah gave them Wil and told them to watch him so that she and Rose could go out to give the men folk their food.   
  
Ami grumbled watching the 3 year old wasn't her idea of fun, and for a rare moment she understood how Craig and Crale must of felt when she tagged along after them. They headed back to the garden and gave Wil some dirt to play with as they went back to work, each keeping an eye on the adventurous toddler. " 'Me I wanna 'elp." Wil toddled over to his big sister who looked at him with exasperation.   
  
"You are too little you can't help."  
"Can too." Wil stuck his lip out in a pout, which caused Craig and Crale to laugh, as it was an exact replica of Ami's pouts.   
  
"Can not, you go play over there and when we're done we will go play at the creek okay?" Ami tried to bribe him and it work.  
"O'tay." Wil toddled back to the edge of the garden interested in a dirt patch and a small shovel that they had left. He began to dig and squealed in amusement when he found bugs.  
  
The garden work didn't last much longer and soon they went back to the house to tell their mothers where they were and make sure Wil could come along. Sarah and Rose agreed and soon all 4 children had stripped to their underclothes and were splashing in the creek. Enjoying the early summer day.   



	4. How to Respond to the World

The summer flew by for Craig, Crale and Ami, Rose had been right about Mr. Jacobson. While he actually wouldn't let Ami sell newspapers, feeling that it wasn't appropriate for a girl to do so, he let Ami come and be the messenger girl at the newspaper office. The reporters were at first surprised by the small girl who came around with messages from the editors but soon they all got use to her and the nickname from home Kitten was shortened up to Kit.   
  
The boarding house that the cousins stayed at was different from what they had expected. Mrs. B loved all three of the children and doted on them. When they first came in they were the only boarders. But as summer came to a close many college students came to live at the house. Many of Mrs. B.'s college students were studying to become ministers, lawyers or teachers. Ami ended up being the only girl staying in the house and because of this she was treated like a princess by many of the boarders.  
  
Life in the summer wasn't just working and playing with the boarders, all three of the children had to take tests to place them with in the school. Ami's ability to soak up all information given her in school the pervious school year had caused Mr. Larson to give her special lessons that had moved her through the first reader in just one year, which usually took two years. The principle at this new school had been skeptical of Ami's knowledge of the first year and spent a week testing her and the boys to insure they were all placed some where they would be tested. It ended up with Ami being placed in the second reader class, Craig placed only one class a head of her and Crale two classes up.  
  
Summer finally came to an end and it was time for the cousins to head to their new school. Ami hated having to be up so early but Crale said they wanted to make a good first impression on their teachers and made them all get up an hour earlier than they really had to. This gave them time to have a slow walk to school, and time for the boys to tell Ami about what they had done the previous weekend with their newsie friends.   
  
They had gone away for the weekend on a trip that Mr. Jacobson arranged every year before school started. Ami hadn't been able to go along since she was a girl, which bugged her to no end. "So Ami it wasn't that big of a thing, we just went fishing and swimming stuff. It wasn't all that interesting." Craig was trying to get Ami to talk to them again, as she was giving the silent treatment for leaving her behind.   
  
"If we do it again next year you can come okay?" Crale tried soothing her feelings.  
"You not just saying that?" Ami looked up at him with cautious hope.  
"No if we do it again we'll take you along we promise."   
Ami thought about it, "Okay if you promise." She gave Crale the sweetest grin as he left her and Craig at the door to their classroom. Even though they were in different classes they shared a classroom. They went and hung their hats on a peg near the door and put their lunch pail, which Mrs. B had made for them, on a shelf.   
  
As they entered the classroom they discretely looked around as they went to sit in a desk together. The teacher, who had been busy with lesson plans, looked up as they entered. "Hello, I'm Miss Carlson. Who might you be?"   
Craig spoke for them both, "I am Craig Swanson and this is my cousin Ami Oberg."  
Miss Carlson looked over her class list, "Oh there you are. Well let's see where did I put you both." She glanced again at the class list. "Ami you are to sit in this desk here and Craig I would like you to sit there by the window. The rest of your classmates should be coming in soon, why don't you go and sit in your seats to get settled."   
  
That was the start of a boring day for Ami and Craig. The class started out like their previous school had but this time lessons were done for half the class at a time. Ami's seatmate's name was Grace, but Ami soon learned that her name didn't fit her personality.   
  
At recess the teacher on duty told Ami very shortly that she couldn't play ball with the boys because it wasn't lady like. As the teacher walked away Ami began to mumble, "Well who wants to be lady like. I'd rather play ball."   
  
Grace and a couple of her friends came up then, "So country you wanna play hopscotch with us?"   
Ami looked at Grace as if she had grown another head. "Hopscotch? No thank you." Ami turned and walked toward the side of the building to sit down.   
  
Behind her, Grace and her friends started talking in a loud voice, "Well I heard that they were brought here because no one else would take them."   
"Do you see the length of that skirt? Her mother should at least have made sure it was the right length, you can see her knees."   
  
"You know what I saw? Her cousin and his brother were selling newspapers on the corner this summer. We are going to school with a bunch of newsies."  
"No wonder the room smells funny this year. It must be because they don't know how to wash."  
  
"Now girls that isn't very nice." Grace calmed her friends down, "They just don't know any better, I mean they are from the country where they play in the dirt all the time." This brought a renewed round of giggling from the girls. Ami ignored them stoically as they walked away losing interest in teasing her when she hadn't given them the reaction they wanted.   
  
"Stupid girls I'll show them." Ami thought as she sat watching Craig try to play ball. The boys weren't much nicer than the girls, they just were more subtle in their dislike. They would throw the ball far over his head on purpose and then yell at him for missing it. When it was his turn to hit the ball they would throw it directly at him trying to take him out of the game. Thankfully recess ended before he could be seriously hurt.   
  
Ami was glad to be back in the classroom and when it came time for recitation she rattled off her lesson. This surprised all the students in the class. As Miss Carlson asked others in her group questions that they couldn't answer Ami would automatically answer for them. Finally they sat down and the next class was called, as they recited their lesson Ami recited along with them. It was reviewing not a new lesson but it caused her to become the center of attention.  
  
"Ami can I see you for a minute?" Miss Carlson called Ami over as the class went for recess.   
"Yes ma'am?"   
"Do you really know the lessons for the other class?"   
"Yes ma'am, I learned them last year." Ami didn't even try to disguise the pride in her voice.   
  
Miss Carlson nodded and sent the class back to their seats, she then called both Ami and Craig up to her desk. "Where exactly were the two of you when you finished school last year?" She held out a reader and Craig flipped through it first.   
  
He stopped near the middle of the reader, "We were right here." Miss Carlson took the reader from him and nodded.  
"Alright then I want you to do your next lesson from here to here." She pointed at the appropriate places and Craig nodded and went back to his seat. She then handed Ami the reader. She repeated the process and pointed about a forth of the way through the same book as Craig. Miss Carlson hid her surprise at where Ami was and gave her a lesson that fit where she was. Ami went back to her seat where Grace gave her a dirty look.   
  
Nothing more was said in the classroom as they sat memorizing their lessons for afternoon recitation. At noon Miss Carlson dismissed her class for lunch and they filed out through the cloakroom and into the schoolyard again. Ami and Craig sat off to the side and were not surprised when Crale came to sit with them.   
  
"So how has your day gone?" Crale sat reaching into the lunch pail.  
"Well the first part was pretty boring but Miss Carlson gave us both something we haven't had yet." Ami answered first. Craig considered the question before answering.   
"Well I guess Miss Carlson is nice enough but I really don't like the kids here. I think the feeling is mutual."   
  
"Yeah they don't like us much." Ami agreed as she ate an apple.  
"Well we just have to act like we don't hear their comments." Crale said with some authority. Before Ami or Craig could respond Grace came up, ignoring the boys and looked Ami straight in the eye.  
  
"Don't think you can get away with this brain thing. You and your friends are just stupid country hicks. Don't act innocent. I am at the top of the class and you better not try to change that. You will never be good enough to stay here. I am going to talk to my daddy and he is on the school board. He can throw you out of here faster than you can blink." Ami looked the other girl up and down before answering.   
  
"That is fine by me." Ami turned her back to the other girl and went back to eating. The boys looked as if they wanted to soak the other girl but followed Ami's example and turned their backs to her. Grace huffed and stomped off mumbling under her breath.   
  
"Well Kitten looks like you made yourself an enemy." Crale commented after Grace was out of earshot.  
"Yeah and what's worse, she sits next to me. I ain't ever gonna get any rest from her." Ami said as the bell rang. "Meet you here after we get out?"   
Crale nodded as they walked back to the building and went inside for the rest of the afternoon.  
  
Classes went by as quickly as any school day does and by mid afternoon all the students were ready for the bell to ring. When it did the class broke for the door and for freedom. Ami and Craig weren't as quick to leave and were in the cloakroom searching for something when Miss Carlson came up to them.  
  
"What is wrong Ami, I thought you would be gone by now."   
Ami pursed her lips and put her hands on her hips. "Craig and me are looking for my sunbonnet. I put it here after we got back in from lunch but it isn't here."   
  
"Maybe one of the other students picked it up by mistake. I am sure it will be back tomorrow. But you have to head home, I am leaving and going to lock the door."   
"Maybe, but it was my good sunbonnet. My momma isn't gonna be happy if I've lost it." Ami said as she searched the cloakroom one last time with her eyes.  
"I am sure we'll find it." Miss Carlson patted Ami on the shoulder as they stood outside of the room in the small entryway.  
"Hope so. Well see you tomorrow Miss Carlson." Ami and Craig waved as they ran over to where Crale was waiting for them.  
  
"Hey Kitten where's your sunbonnet?" Crale asked as so as they came up.  
"Don't know I couldn't find it before we left." Ami shrugged as she reached up to grab Craig's straw hat, "I'll wear Craig's till mine shows up."   
  
"Hey give that back." Craig reached for his hat but Ami evaded his grasp as she took off toward the boarding house. Craig chased after her, dropping his books. Crale picked them all up, adding them to his stack before taking off after them calling for them to stop running like Indians.   
  
The school days started running into each other and Ami's sunbonnet was never returned. She noticed that other small things were disappearing too. Her slate pencil disappeared one day after a recess. Miss Carlson tsked and told her to be more careful after giving her a new one. A few days into the new school year Ami took all of her things she took to school and marked all of them. Mrs. B sew a small purple and green flower on the under brim of her new sunbonnet. She scratched her initials into her slate and lunch pail, along with the boys' initials. They never disappeared but Ami wasn't taking any chances. She knew who had stolen them and kept a close eye on Grace and all her giggling girlfriends. 


	5. Selling the Stars

AN: I am skipping 2 years now, Ami, Crale, and Craig are now going to be known by their "newsie names".   
  
Ami "Kit" Oberg sat on a bench in the park. She set her stack of the Lincoln Journal-Star next to her. It was the end of August and it had been a hot summer. She lifted her hair off her neck, why she couldn't just get it cut was beyond her. She looked up the street to where her best friend, Josh Olson was selling. They always sold together and today was no different. The two eight-year olds were the youngest newsies and even though Kit knew that Cray or Swan had to be around somewhere right now she could almost imagine that the park belonged to the two of them.   
  
Kit looked up at the sky; white puffy clouds hurried past each one changing shape as it passed through her line of site. "Kit you just gonna sit there?" Josh came over to his partner in crime and selling.   
  
Kit looked up, "Nah just taking a break. How many you got left?"   
Josh counted, "I think 5." He held out what was left of his stack for Kit to count.   
"Yeah you got 5 left and so do I. It's about 4 and the train from Omaha will be in soon. I bet we can finish up there."   
  
Josh nodded, "'Kay, so Kit you excited school must start up soon for you."   
Kit wrinkled her nose as they walked, "Nah I like the idea of going back don't get me wrong, but it means I have to deal with Miss Gracie "My Daddy is on the school board" Johnson. I would love it if she wouldn't come back."   
  
"Well maybe she didn't get promoted with ya class or something." Josh gave her a lopsided smile along with his encouragement.  
"I can only wish," Ami looked up the street and groaned, "Speaking of Gracie." She motioned with her head up the street where a group of girls were coming toward them.  
  
"Well what have we here? If it isn't two very disgusting newsies. Better go on the other side of the street girls never know what diseases they may have." Gracie held a handkerchief up to her nose as she and her friends passed Kit and Buddha.   
Josh held on to Kit's hand to prevent her from going after the other girl, "She ain't worth it. You would lose your papers then what?"   
  
Kit felt the fight drain out of her, "You're right, she isn't worth it."   
"Yeah especially with those brothers of hers." Josh slightly shivered.  
  
"Shoetree and Clops?" Josh nodded, "Those two are such idiots. The only reason they actually sell papers is cause everyone is afraid of their father." Kit rolled her eyes. "Come on lets get these sold before the train leaves. Cray said something about all the newsies having the week off for the trip up to Wahoo."   
  
"That's right it's this week." Josh and Kit went about selling their papers to the passengers who were anxious for any news even the news of a sleepy town like Lincoln.  
They had just sold their last papers when Cray and Swan came up to them. "You guys ready to head out?" Both Kit and Josh nodded; a trip back towards home was the best thing ever. They wouldn't make it much farther than the Swanson/Oberg farm that night, but that was far enough for Kit. She couldn't wait to get home. The last time they had gone home was at the end of the previous summer. Kit wanted to see how her baby sister Alice had grown, and if her mother had gotten her any more siblings.   
  
In front of the Star-Journal Office was a wagon loaded with tents and previsions for the weeklong camping trip. Mr. Jacobson was sitting in the driver's seat and waved to the four newsies as they came up. "You all ready to leave now?" He asked Cray as he helped lift Josh and Kit up onto the tailgate of the wagon.   
"Yeah these two were selling at the train station like always." Cray mentioned as he climbed up next to the editor.  
  
"Well we're all here now. Come on boys, and Kit, lets go have a great week off." Mr. Jacobson "Get upped" the horses and all the newsboys started off on their yearly adventure. It was tradition for Mr. Jacobson to take a week off from his job as chief editor and owner of Lincoln's only newspaper and take his newsies out of the town's borders and down to the river for a couple of days. He said if his paper couldn't last one week with out him being there than it was a flop. Both he and the newsies looked forward to it. It had taken a lot of persuasion on the part of Kit and her cousins to get her included the previous year. But this year she was welcomed with open arms and was no less excited.   
  
She and Josh lay back against the blankets and supplies and watched the clouds chase each other across the late summer sky. There were about 40 newsies in all of Lincoln ranging from Kit and Josh at 8 to an older boy, Harry who was 16. This summer had been Harry's last and so this trip was also going to be a sort of good-bye party also. The Star Journal Newsies were a tight knit group. Most of them lived in town and this was their part time job to get special things.   
  
The only ones that worked to eat were Kit, Josh, Cray, Swan and Buddha, Josh 's brother Jeremy. For the others though this was a summer job to keep them out of trouble and one they were willing to give up. For Josh and Buddha though this was their livelihood. Mr. Jacobson knew this and had given them both jobs as office messenger runners for the winter. Kit and the boys were going to be going back to school, which was something Kit could have done without.   
  
Kit and Josh rode for most of the trip out to the farm, they were the youngest and no one wanted to go chasing after them if they fell behind, at least that was the excuse that everyone used. The rest of the boys would switch off on who rode in the wagon, jumping on and off whenever it suited them. The first part of the trip took almost 5 hours and almost all of the newsies were excited when the barn and farmhouses came into view. Kit jumped off of her perch with Josh at her heals, and took off to announce that they had all made it safe and sound.   
  



	6. Learning and the Silent game

It had taken 30 minutes to get everyone settled in the hay barn for the night but soon everything was ready. After eating and getting settled the older newsies began to tell stories as they all laid on top of their blankets swatting at flies and making hand shadows on the wall from the fire light. Most of the stories were just harmless tales meant to cause a shiver but not really scare. Mr. Jacobson felt that the newsies would be fine on their own and had taken up Sid Swanson on the offer to stay in the house, leaving the newsies with out supervision.   
  
Somehow this ended up being the night where Kit and Josh learned the facts of life. It was an accident, at least that is what Cray would later claim, but some how the over 11 crowd of newsies started to brag about their "conquests" with girls and Josh had innocently asked what getting laid meant. Kit chimed in that she wanted to know and this caused a lot of hemming and hawing on the part of the boys. Finally it was decided that Harry would tell them. After it was all explained to them both Kit and Josh screwed up their faces and said that was gross and that it was all a lie before stalking off to the back of the barn and going to sleep.   
  
"Swanson Olson, I can't believe you made me tell them." Harry looked at the two younger boys. "You at least could have told them, he is your brother Olson and Swanson Kit is your cousin, and she's a girl." Harry looked as if he wanted to go jump in the nearest crick.   
  
Cray didn't even miss a beat, "Harry how did you learn this stuff?"  
"Well…I learned it at a thing like this, my first year." Harry spoke looking to where the two young kids had gone off too.  
"So did the rest of us. Just think of it as passing on a tradition, when Kit and Josh are 16 they can pass on the story to the next generation." Buddha was quick to point out, and the rest of the guys in ear shot nodded.   
  
"Fine I guess that is true, but still Kit is a girl, some girl should have told her." Harry whined.   
"Yeah but what girl would have told her? Some one has to start it off right, just as well be you." Cray justified as the newsies began to turn in.   
  
"Fine, but if they say anything to your folks or Jacobson I am giving all the blame to you." Harry mumbled as he stretched out.  
"Sure blame me, I would have to have told her anyway some time. Her mom's pregnant again, she was gonna wonder where that kid came from. You just saved me some embarrassment." Cray grinned and ducked the hay that Harry threw at him.  
  
"Get to sleep you bummers. Jacobson ain't gonna let us sleep till noon, that don't happen till after we get to the site not before." Harry bellowed silencing the whispers, soon all that could be heard were the crickets and the soft breathing of 40 some odd boys and one girl   
  
  
  
The weeks vacation went by very quickly and suddenly it was the last day before the group of newsies would head back to Lincoln for school or to work. The week had been great fun, Swan, Cray and Buddha had taught the city boys how to fish. While they weren't great at it there was always at least some fish for dinner. Most of their time was spent in and around the water, no one getting out until they were hungry and shivering.  
  
Cray and Buddha had kept a close eye on their young charges making sure they didn't get lost in the rough housing newsies. While Kit and Swan called Crale "Cray" most of the newsies just called him Swanson which was at times confused with Swan. That was until this last day.  
  
It was the last swim of the day, which was pretty early since Mr. Jacobson wanted to make the farm by nightfall. Kit had been keeping close to the bank watching the small minnows and the crayfish scurry around her feet and under rocks trying to stay out of sight. Josh had come over once or twice but Kit would wave him away with warnings about the crayfish.   
  
She had been so caught up in watching the small creatures that when Cray had come up behind her she didn't even notice. Cray picked up the small girl intent on throwing her out toward the deep part of the river. Kit started screaming and struggling. Cray kept a hold of her but wasn't watching where he was walking. Suddenly the stone he had stepped on moved and something pinched his big toe.   
  
Cray struggled not to drop Kit at this point as he joined her in screaming. This caused the newsies to look at them and begin laughing, Cray made his way quickly out from the shallow bank of the river and dropped Kit unceremoniously into the river before grabbing his foot and pulling off the crayfish that was still attached to his toe.   
  
Kit came up sputtering ready to start yelling at her older cousin but when she saw the crayfish in his hand she began laughing. "Cray that isn't how you are supposed to catch crayfish."   
Cray scowled at her but as the other newsies began laughing he joined in also. Harry came over and put an arm around Cray, "Well Crayfish Hunter it serves you right for making me tell Kit that stuff at the beginning of the week."   
  
Buddha came over and began to tease his friend also. "So Crayfish boy what are you going to do with your pet?"   
Cray looked down at the small creature, "Well he's too small to eat, maybe I know." Cray took the creature and put right in Kit's face. "Come one Kit kiss the crayfish."   
  
Kit squealed and ran to the bank yelling that she was gonna tell his mama on him. Mr. Jacobson who watched it all allowed the boys time to play a bit long giving Kit time to get dressed before calling them all out. "Let's go boys, we need to get going."   
  
The boys quickly climbed out of the water and dried off then began to pick up the camping site, putting away their belonging back onto the wagon. Soon the signal was given and they began the walk back to the farm.  
  
Kit had climbed up to the driver's seat and refused to talk to any of the boys. She would talk to Mr. Jacobson and as a result a lot of what she wanted to say to the boys went through Mr. Jacobson first.   
  
"Kit I am really sorry. It was a joke, we use to throw you in all the time." Cray walked next to Kit who studiously ignored him and kept talking to Mr. Jacobson.  
"Mr. Jacobson can you tell Crale that I am not talking to him and to leave me alone." Kit asked.   
Jacobson relayed the message, with a sigh. "Kit you can't stay mad at me forever. I am really sorry. Please forgive me." Cray asked before walking off.  
Kit didn't even say anything just turned her back to him as she curled up on the bench and fell asleep.   
  
Jacobson waited till Kit was asleep before motioning Cray over. "Crale, she won't keep this up forever I am sure by tomorrow this will all be forgotten and she will be back to talking to you."   
Cray nodded, "I am sure but I still feel pretty stupid."   
Jacobson nodded, "Don't worry about it boy girls seem to make us guys feel stupid all the time. You know you should keep your eye on her though. She has all the signs of being quite a hellion if you aren't careful. Probably going to break a lot of hearts."   
  
Cray nodded, "Just what I am afraid of." The twelve-year-old looked at his cousin in all seriousness, the girl was going to get him in lots of trouble he could feel it in his bones already.   



	7. Starting over

First off I congratulate anyone who was able to read the messed up version of this post the first time around. I have been hoping for some reviews though so Please please review.   
  
13 year old Kit stood near a gapping hole in the ground next to two rough caskets. She barely kept the tears out of her eyes. Her parents were dead, that was the long and the short of it. They had been caught outside during one of Nebraska's famous storms and were found dead two days later. On either side of Kit were Josh and Buddha. Wil and the girls, Alice and Heather stood on the other side of the gravesite with Rose, Sid, Cray, Swan and Celeste, the little sister that no one had expected.   
  
Pastor Kent was droning on and on about everlasting life and how death wasn't the end of life. It was supposed to be comforting but to Kit it wasn't. She was angry with God. Why would He take away her parents when she needed them most? What had she done that was so bad? Mr. Jacobson and Ms Carlson were also there. Mr. Jacobson had been the newsies' ride out to the farm and Ms Carlson had come out of her love for Kit.   
  
The past 5 years had been hard on Kit, Gracie Johansen had been right when she claimed she could get Kit and the boys kicked out of school. The spring at the end of Kit's third year at the town school they had gotten called into the principal's office.   
Flashback   
"Ami, Crale, Craig, Wil please sit down." The principal motioned to the chairs in front of his desk. "It has come to the attention of the administration that you four have been accused of cheating on your finals." Before any of the four could defend themselves the principal continued. "We have proof that this has happened, Ami all of your answers match those given by your seatmate Grace Johansen. We cannot tolerate cheating in this school. Because of this we are asking you all do not return next year."   
  
Ami stared at the principal in astonishment, "But sir that is impossible. Ami would never cheat if you look at all her test grades she has done better than her entire class for entire time we've been here." Crale jumped to her defense.   
  
"That may be true, but we cannot let someone who cheats even once stay in the system." The principal looked decidedly uncomfortable.   
"But wouldn't that prove that Grace cheated not Ami?" Craig asked.   
  
"No it doesn't. This matter is closed; you all are dismissed. Please make sure your parents know." The principal ushered them out the door and closed it.   
  
They all left and went back to their room at the boarding house. Wil had only been attending the school for a year and with his arrival it became too expensive to keep to rooms at the boarding house, and as such Kit had moved in with the boys. The little boy had no idea what was going on. And the older children really couldn't explain it to him.   
  
Kit was finally the first one to say anything. "I can't believe they believed that little liar over me. Everyone knows she cheats on every test just to make sure she passes. Why don't they throw her out if they are so concerned about cheating?"   
  
"You know it is cause her father is on the school board. They can't throw out a school board member's child. So Gracie gets to stay and we are all kicked out so the problem doesn't become public knowledge." Cray said as he put his arm around Kit's shoulder.   
  
While they never said anything about the situation Gracie and her friends would still make snide comments to Kit and her family if they passed them while they were selling. Grace was proud with the fact that she had a role in getting Kit kicked out of school and never missed a chance to say something. Even though Kit had been kicked out of school she didn't stop learning.   
  
Ms Carson had heard the news and was outraged. At the beginning of the summer she sought out Kit while she was selling and offered to teach all of them at her house after they got off work. Kit and the boys agreed quickly and they had continued to progress through their studies. Mr. Jacobson had met Ms Carson one day and they had started to date. Mr. Jacobson had just proposed to Ms Carson and Kit was going to be a bridesmaid in the wedding at the end of the month.   
  
Sarah had been so happy for her daughter and they had finished the dress a couple of days before the storm. Kit wondered if she would be able to wear the dress. Buddha squeezing her hand brought her back to the present, she threw the flowers she had collected on the walk to the cemetery on the caskets and watched them being lowered into the ground. Part of her wanted to throw herself on to the caskets and suddenly the dam broke and Kit began crying. Buddha put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. He finally pulled the sobbing girl away from the gravesite and began walking her back to the house.   
  
Rose and Sid were now the Oberg children's guardians. Kit wasn't sure what this would mean for her but she hoped that she would be able to continue as a newsie. Neighbors from all the surrounding farms gathered at the Swanson farm to offer their condolences to the children. Neither of the younger girls understood what was going on. Alice had just turned 6 and Heather just shy of 4. Both girls agitated by the crowd of adults had begun to cry asking for their mama. Kit finally took both girls over to their parents' house and set them down for a nap. Before sitting down in Sarah's rocking chair and crying.   
  
Swan came looking for them an hour later and found Kit staring out the window clutching a blanket. "Ami. Kit? You okay?" He came up to her and put his hand on her arm.   
"I keep imagining this is all some dream and Mama is going to come walking through the door. Craig I miss them so much. Why did they have to die?"   
  
Swan pulled Kit up before sitting down on the chair, pulling Kit into his lap. "I don't know, I have no clue. But you still have me and Crale and my mom and dad, plus Buddha and Josh. We aren't going to leave you if we can help it." The 15 year-old boy comforted his cousin rocking back and forth with the slip of a girl finally crying herself to sleep.   
  
Cray, Buddha and Josh came in a bit later. Cray took Kit and put her on the bed in the girl's room. He then checked on the little girls who were still fast asleep before coming out to the kitchen area. The other boys had busied themselves with making some sandwiches and something to drink. They gathered their supplies and sat at the table.   
  
"So what happens now?" Josh was the first to speak. "What is going to happen to them?"   
  
"Well, the kids are going to be moving in to our house. Pop said that since we live in town in the summer and stuff that there is plenty of room." Cray said not looking up from the table.   
  
"But what about Kit and Wil? Are they gonna to come back and sell till the end of the year or are they gonna stay here?" Buddha asked around a bite of food.   
  
"Pop said that if they want they can go back to town. He says that keeping the same schedule is probably best. Plus Wil finally got back into school so he needs to be back in town in a week any way." Swan said before falling quiet.   
  
"So what are your parents gonna do this winter? You guys never stayed in town except for school in the winter anyway."   
  
"Pop said that we can all live over here this winter. He said he really isn't up to selling the stock this winter and he might just end up keeping it all. We are gonna hafta run this farm on our own though. Pop said he can't take care of both places on his own. And he doesn't want to sell it off since it rightfully belongs to Wil now." Cray supplied. "Don't know how we can run an entire farm though."   
  
The guys all sat in silence, then an idea came to Buddha. "What if it wasn't just you and Swan running the farm?" Cray looked at his friend in surprise. "What if me and Josh came and helped?"   
  
"You would be willing to give up the job at the paper to come work a farm?" Swan asked a bit surprised.   
  
"Well if you look at it that way, yeah." Buddha said with a shrug.   
"I know why he would do that. Buddha likes Kit." Josh teased his older brother, getting a cuff to the back of the head. Buddha's ears turned red with embarrassment as Swan and Cray looked at him in surprise.   
  
"You like Kit?" Swan finally forced out.   
"Well of course, she is a friend after all." Buddha said as if oblivious to the question that Swan was asking.   
  
"No I mean do you really like her?" Swan finally asked. Buddha's ears turned a deeper red as he looked down at his plate.   
  
The other three boys began laughing then and teased Buddha mercilessly; until he finally had enough. "Alright already, fine I like her like her, just don't tell her."   
  
Cray looked at his friend, "You do realize she is 13 right, and you are 16?"   
"Yeah so?"   
"Nothing I guess. Just thought I would mention it."   
"Well it isn't like anything is gonna come of it. So it isn't a big deal now is it." Buddha looked around the table at the three boys. "Now you guys aren't going to say anything are you?"   
  
"Course not. You serious about helping around here for the winter?" Cray asked shifting the subject.   
"Yeah, it's not like me and Josh have never worked a farm or anything." Buddha said thankful with the change in conversation.   
  
"Well if you wanna work here, you get room and board, Ma's been teaching Kit how to cook, it's not all that bad, plus Ma is just on the other side of the yard. I guess starting after the vacation we all are gonna be running a farm." The four boys shook on the agreement and went to go find Sid.   
  
Sid wasn't sure with the whole idea but agreed that someone had to take care of the stock. A couple of the men had volunteered to help with the harvest and he was pretty sure he could handle the stock until the end of the month. The boys then found Mr. Jacobson and explained their plan. Mr. Jacobson was not thrilled with the idea of losing his office boys but agreed to let them go with two weeks pay.   
  
Most of the guests had left and not long afterwards the boys trooped back to the house that would be theirs careful to avoid the master bedroom and soon fell asleep in various locations around the house.


	8. Changes

Spring had followed winter as it did every year. The occupants of the old Oberg place were packing up to move back to Lincoln for the summer to sell their papers. The pervious winter had actually worked out pretty well, The boys had been surprised to find out that Kit could actually cook. She wasn't the world's best cook, but they made it through the winter just fine on her meals. The four boys had done a decent job working with the livestock. It wasn't like there was a lot but they had been able to keep all of the stock healthy and gave them the best of care.   
  
They had decided around Christmas to go back to Lincoln to sell in the summer out of habit but also because they missed the interaction with people other than just the five of them. Sid had reluctantly agreed after persuasion from Rose. It was decided that the Oberg land wouldn't be worked that year. This would let Sid have a bit of a break and also give the land a chance to rest, in hopes that it would produce better the next year.   
  
Kit remained oblivious to Buddha's obvious like, treating all the guys the same, much to the dislike of Buddha and the delight of the other boys, who would tease the love struck boy every chance they got. Sid was still unsure about sending his 14-year-old niece into the city but allowed her to go on the concession that she would stay with the Jacobson's not on the college campus like the boys. All to soon, in Sid's opinion they set out for the walk to Lincoln.   
  
"Sid you shouldn't worry so much, Crale and Craig are there to protect her. And we know that Josh and Jeremy would never let anything happen to her." Rose tried to soothe her husband as they watched them go.   
  
"I am just worried, she is 14 now. Almost an adult yet she insists on acting like a boy." Sid replied almost angrily.   
"What would you have her do?" Rose questioned.   
"She could be getting married or at least being courted." Sid answered.   
"By whom? The only young men her age that aren't related to her are Jeremy and Josh." Rose gently reminded him. "If you want her getting courted she needs to be in town. Karen and Joel are two very nice people who view Ami as a daughter. Let her go this year, and next year we'll talk about her staying here."   
  
The kids all got into Lincoln around 8 that night, the walk had been tiring and they were all looking forward to having a meal cooked by Mrs. Jacobson. They walked in through the servant's entrance into the kitchen much like they always did. Only to be stopped by a very pregnant Karen Jacobson, Kit ran up to her older friend and gave her a hug. Joel hearing the commotion had come down with the only missing person, Wil and went to shake the older boys hands.   
  
"When did this happen??" Kit asked excitedly.   
Karen smiled, "Over the winter I am due near the beginning of August." Kit jumped up and down excitedly.   
"Well since I am here to help go sit down and I'll finish making dinner." Kit directed Karen glad for the respite obeyed. The kitchen was soon full of laughter and good times.   
  
The next morning Kit was up early and was down in the kitchen before anyone else. She started the fire and made herself some coffee before sitting down and paging through a book left out on the table from the night before. A creek on the stairs brought her head up as her brother Wil walked through the door.   
  
"Hey Brat." Kit said, "Coffee's in the pot if you want some."   
Wil just grunted as he poured himself a cup and sat down. It took a while for the coffee to kick in and Kit turned back to looking through the book.   
  
"How was the winter?" Wil finally was awake enough to interact with the world.   
"It was good, the guys are real slobs but it wasn't too bad. How was school?" Kit said as she closed the book to talk to her brother.   
"Not bad, Karen made sure I was all caught up and stuff. Too bad she isn't teaching there any more. I like her more than who I had this year." Wil said making a face.   
  
"Who did you have?" Kit was curious knowing if she had stayed at the school she would have the same teacher.   
"Mrs. Johnson, she made me sit all by myself for every test, in the front of the room so she could "watch me." She tried to accuse me of cheating a couple of times, but Joel and Karen argued against me getting thrown out. I see why you left, if I could I would leave too." Wil was dejected.   
  
"They really don't like the idea that us country kids actually know more than their kids do they?" Kit questioned, Wil agreed with a grunt. "You can't quit though, one of us has to make it all the way through to prove we aren't stupid. Just think of it as a way to make life easier for Ally, Heather and Celeste. Rose is going to be sending them up here when Heather is old enough next year."   
  
"Really? Well maybe it will be good for them. They'll at least come in with an entire class." Wil said.   
"Yep, so are you gonna to sell papes with us this summer?" Kit asked to change the subject.   
  
"Actually," Wil hesitated, "I am not gonna. Joel talked with Doc Peterson and I am gonna start working with him this summer. Just running errands and stuff."   
Kit raised her eyebrows in surprise, "No kidding? Well it will be a good work experience for you won't it?"   
"Yeah that is what Joel and Doc said." Wil shrugged then looked at the clock, "Crap I'm gonna be late. See you tonight Kit."   
  
"Watch the language Brat, wake up the guys while you're up there, tell them they have 15 minutes or I am leaving without them." Kit called up after him before going to finish getting ready.   
  
She came out 10 minutes later and the guys and Joel were all assembled at the table drinking their coffee and eating some of the bread she had left out. She stood in the doorway surprised that they were all actually ready. She squeezed in between Josh and Swan as they talked.   
  
"I don't know about selling guys." Cray was saying. "Buddha you and me are getting too old for this. There have to be jobs open here in town." Buddha was nodding in agreement.   
  
"But if you don't sell then why didn't you just stay on the farm." Swan mumbled into his cup of coffee.   
Cray chose to ignore the statement as he turned to Joel. "So Joel are there any openings at the paper? Someone to run presses or anything like that?"   
  
Joel ran a hand under his chin as he thought, "No actually we are doing pretty well at the plant. I think I did see a "help wanted" sign in the window of Murphy's Bar. I think he said something about needed a new bartender. And I think the train yard is looking for some dock-workers. You can always start there boys."   
  
Both Cray and Buddha nodded in agreement. The other three at the table looked up at the clock and seeing it was almost time to head out to go sell said their good byes and rushed out the door. With their leaving, Joel, Buddha and Cray discussed some other job openings in town before Joel had to leave for his job. Buddha and Cray decided to go out on a job hunt, in hopes of finding a job that paid better than selling papes. 


	9. Soap Bubbles, Stew and Smooches

As Kit stood up to stretch her back she looked down the clothing line. Fall was no where near her favorite season. They had come back from the city and working just before the start of harvest. Sid had drafted the four guys into helping with the harvest from the start and left Kit help Rose with the canning and caring for the house full of guys. It had only been two weeks since the start of the harvest and already Kit was counting down the time till it was winter.   
  
Winter would mean an end to the guys coming in past sundown looking for a meal before going to bed. It would mean an end to being bored to tears with only Rose and the very young girls to talk to. They might be guys but they at least didn't expect her to be something she wasn't. Unlike Rose who was hinting, no out right demanding, that she move into the big house away from the guys.   
  
Kit threw the shirt she had been holding into the water and started scrubbing again. Why were they being so odd about her staying in her house with the guys? They were all like big brothers, okay so her feelings for Buddha weren't exactly what she felt for the other guys but that didn't mean anything. "It isn't like Buddha sees me besides his little sister anyway." Kit thought out loud. "Stupid rules and propriety."   
  
"Kit now what did my shirt do to you that you need to rub a hole in it?" Buddha asked as he walked up.   
Kit stood up, feeling her face redden. "Nothing, how long you been standing there?"   
"Just come in, why? You declaring your love to some poor sap?" Buddha teased, causing Kit to turn a deeper shade of red.   
  
"What are you doing here?" Kit asked trying to shift the subject off of her.   
"Well lets see I live here, it's almost evening, we finished the field and your uncle gave me the rest of the day off. Take your pick." Buddha spoke as he walked toward the house.   
Kit's eyes widened in surprise, "You guys are already done? Great I haven't even started on dinner." She wiped her hands on her skirt, which was one of the rules Sid had insisted she follow now that they were back.   
  
"Hey hold up, I said Sid gave me the rest of the day off, everyone else won't be up for a while. Let me go wash off my hands and I'll help you with the last of the laundry or start dinner or something. Sound good?" Buddha waited for Kit to nod then went into the house to clean up a bit.   
  
Kit turned back to the laundry tub, she only had half a basket left of clothing. She was glad that she had done her things earlier. She dumped the rest of the guys' shirts and pants into the tub before starting to add the last pot of water that had been boiling over a fire. But before she could lift it Buddha came up behind her and grabbed the pot.   
  
"Kit I said I was gonna help, now stand back and I'll dump this in for you." Kit barely nodded as she slipped out under his arms and to grab the first thing she found in the tub, Josh's good pants, and began scrubbing. Buddha brought the hot pot over and began adding it a bit at a time until the water was warm again.   
  
"You need help with anything else out here?" He asked after he had returned the pot to the fire.   
Kit looked up and moved a bit of hair from her forehead as she thought. "Well I didn't get around to cutting up any wood or kindling for tonight."   
Buddha nodded, "Well then I'll do that. If you need help dumping this out yell."   
  
Kit grunted as he walked off. Her energy focused on getting rid of a stain on the denim jeans that she was working on. She finally finished the laundry as well has hanging it up about 30 min after Buddha had come in. He must have been waiting or something till she was done, because no sooner had she removed the ringer from the tub than he was there to dump it out.   
  
Kit stood back and watched him pour the water out around the couple of small trees that were growing in the yard. He then helped her gather up her washing supplies and walked with her back to the house. Kit went to change into something less restraining while Buddha hung up the wash tub.   
  
"So Kit what you making for dinner."   
Kit stuck her head out from the room she was changing in, "I don't know bread and what's left of the stew we had on Sunday. Can you start up the stove for me, I think it went out while I was doing laundry."   
  
"It didn't go out, and the soup is in this container right?" Kit stuck out her head and looked at the jar that Buddha held up.   
"Yeah it's in there. Just stick it into the pot on the stove, I'll be out in a minute." True to her word she was out of the room soon. She moved in front of the stove and began to stir in some seasonings to the stew. "So Buddha how did you get the luck to come up to the house early?"   
  
Buddha looked a bit uncomfortable with the question, but shrugged, "Cray said they could finish with what was left on their own. No one said I couldn't come so I did."   
  
"I see, well thanks for the help. But if this is supposed to be your break why not go sit or do something you enjoy. I can do this all on my own just fine." Kit shooed him away from the counter where he had been hovering. Buddha grabbed a glass and the pitcher that held some water before sitting down at the table.   
  
"Kit I was wondering." Buddha started to speak but stopped.   
"What were you wondering Buddha?" Kit asked not turning around from the stew she was stirring.   
"Well how has your day been?"   
Kit turned and raised an eyebrow. "My day? Well after getting the talk from Rose about how inappropriate it is for me to live in this house with you guys; I came back here and cleaned. Then I remembered that the laundry had to be done so I did that. That was about my day."   
  
"So Rose talked to you about living here?"   
"Yeah I don't understand what is so wrong about it. We've been doing this for two years now, it isn't like something has changed. You guys are like big brothers for the most part. They didn't care last year or the first year. What is so different about this year?" Kit asked slapping her spoon on the pot. She had been so intent on venting about her discussion with Rose she didn't see Buddha get up and stand behind her. As she turned around she bumped into him.   
  
Buddha put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Well I can think of one thing that has changed in the past two years." Before Kit could react Buddha bent down and brushed his lips against hers for a moment.   
  
Kit took a step back and looked up her eyes wide, "Why'd you do that?"   
"Kit I did it because…" Buddha ran his hand through his hair turning away from her. "I did it because I am in love with you."   
  
Kit blinked her eyes in surprise, "You what?"   
"I love you, and I understand where Rose and Sid are coming from. Kit I don't know if you like me or anything. But I want to court you, marry you if I have a chance and I can't do that with you living in the same house." Buddha came back to stand in front of Kit who still had a shocked look on her face, a bit speechless.   
  
"umm, This is kinda sudden isn't it?" Kit shook her head in surprise not really believing that it was possible for Buddha to like her this way.   
"No, I have loved you for almost two years. I guess I made a mess of the whole thing by kissing you." Buddha started to walk out, but Kit grabbed his arm.   
  
"You have liked me for two years? Wow and here I thought you only saw me as a little sister or something." Kit wondered aloud, Buddha still a bit embarrassed by his action started to pull away but Kit held on to his arm. He turned toward her and Kit got up on her toes to place a kiss on his lips.   
  
Buddha reacted by putting his arms around her and that was the position that their housemates found them in as they came in from working. "Hey Buddha I didn't say you could come back so you could start making out with my cousin." Cray started in on the teasing as soon as the door was shut.   
  
Kit broke away from Buddha blushing furiously and went to stand with her back to the guys stirring the stew. The guys went to clean up but the teasing continued through dinner, but since it was all good-natured teasing neither Buddha or Kit responded.   
  
There were some changes made at the farm though, Kit did move in to live with Rose and Sid, much to their relief, but she still took care of the guys' house, saying that they couldn't cook if their lives depended on it. All she seemed to do was sleep at the other house. All through out that winter she and Buddha grew closer and as spring neared she looked forward to the summer and getting to talk to Karen about their relationship. 


	10. Crash

Who would have thought that keeping a relationship would be so hard? Kit wondered as she sold her newspapers. The group had been back in Lincoln for almost a month and both Kit and Buddha had come to realize that things were going to have to change when it came to their relationship. First the other person wasn't just across the road and that on top of the fact that they both had jobs that had weird hours cut into their alone time.   
  
Kit sighed as she hoisted up her last 10 papers. On top of the weird hours she was, along with Cray and Josh, a co-leader of the newsies. More often than not she had to settle small fights that broke out among the 6 girls who now sold on a regular basis, along with helping them keep their place among the selling newsies. That didn't include time she spent helping Karen out around the house when she got off. Well at least tonight she and Buddha were going out for dinner, nothing fancy but it would be good to see him and catch up.   
  
Kit sold off the last of her papers and started to head back to the house to clean up. As she walked she hummed to herself until a hand reached out to grab her on her shoulder. "Hey there Kitten." Kit turned to look at who had stopped her. "How bout you and me go out and I'll show you a good time?"   
  
Kit looked from the first guy to the second one, "Let's not and say we did Shoe." Kit finally responded keeping the look of revulsion off her face. Why did the Johansen boys have to show up and ruin her day?   
  
"Now come on kitten you know that you would love to go out with Shoe here." Frost said putting an arm around her shoulder.   
"No Frost I don't want to go with Shoe. I have a boyfriend." Kit said shrugging off the offending arm.   
"Oh come on Kit why would you want to stay with a boy when you could have a man?" Shoe asked stepping in front of Kit.  
  
"A man? I don't see any men around here Shoe. Now if you'll excuse me I have a date that I don't want to miss." Kit started to move but Frost caught her arm.  
"Listen here girlie. You should dump little Buddha and start dating my brother or things might start happening to you and your family if you know what I mean." Frost said his eyes and voice as cold and hard as frost in the winter.   
  
Kit looked a little frightened but didn't hesitate to meet Frost's glare. "I will date who I want to date when I want to date and nothing you can say or do will change that."   
"We'll see about that. Tell your little boyfriend to watch his back, might want to pass it along to your cousins too." Frost said squeezing her arm before letting go. Kit rubbed her arm knowing there was going to be a bruise as she watched the two bullies go. She didn't want to let on that she was scared and began walking back to the house without saying anything.   
  
"Kit where have you been?" Karen greeted Kit as she came in the door, "I was going to send Josh out to look for you."   
Kit shrugged off the concern, "My papers just took longer than I expected to sell. If Jeremy shows up before I am ready tell him I'll be down quick." Kit explained as she went up the stair to her room to change.   
  
As she pulled off her shirt she glanced at her arm where Frost had grabbed her, "Shoot that is one ugly set of bruises. Good thing my sleeves will cover them." Kit mumbled out loud to her self as she started to get ready. She was finally ready 30 minutes later, her hair done up properly and a smidgen of blush on her lips and cheeks. She grabbed her shawl and purse as she blew out the light in her room and closed the door.   
  
Buddha was waiting in the hallway as Kit came down the stairs. "You look pretty, I am going to be the most envied man in the entire restaurant." He whispered in her ear after giving her a kiss on the cheek.   
Kit couldn't help but blushed, she knew she wasn't pretty but if Buddha thought she was that was enough for her. "So where are we going for dinner? Or are you keeping it a big secret?"   
  
"You'll find out when we get there." He smiled at her pout before calling out to the living room, "Don't worry Joel I'll have her home before 10." Joel grunted from behind his paper and the couple were soon on their way to dinner.  
  
As they ate their meal and worked on catching up on each other's lives Kit absentmindedly rubbed her bruised arm. Buddha noticed and looked concerned. "You okay Kit?"   
Kit looked up from her spaghetti, "Hmm?"  
"You keep rubbing your arm. Did you hurt it or something?"   
  
Kit shrugged her shoulders, "It's nothing. I accidentally ran into someone and bruised it." Without even thinking she lifted the short sleeve of her dress and showed him the bruise.  
"Kit that looks like someone grabbed you." Buddha tried to get a better look as Kit quickly pulled down her sleeve.  
"It's nothing, I just ran into someone."   
"Who did you run into Kit?"  
  
"Just the Johansen boys." Kit tried to play it off like it wasn't a big deal.  
"You ran into them and it wasn't a big deal? What did they want?" Buddha's nose flared a bit at the news of who she had met.  
"They were just being themselves. And Shoetree asked me out." Kit imperceptibly shivered.   
  
"Well how did you get the bruise." Buddha asked insistently.  
"Well Frost grabbed after I had said no and threatened me." Kit kept her voice low, "He said that if I didn't go out with Shoe they would make me date him, to keep you guys safe."   
  
Buddha came to sit next to her, "Are you sure you are okay?"  
Kit nodded, "I will be fine, it's you and the guys I am worried about. What if they weren't just talking? What if they will really take you guys out? Maybe it would be better if we broke up." Kit began to babble until Buddha put a finger on her lips.  
  
"Calm down Kit, all of us will be just fine. We don't need to break up because of some bullies. I'll be just fine and so will the rest of the guys. It's getting late, we better get going." Buddha stood up quickly and held on to Kit's chair as she got up.   
Kit looked into Buddha's eyes trying to gauge how much he believed his own words. Buddha looked back at her and smiled. "Hey it's me, you can trust me right?"   
  
Kit couldn't contain her grin, and settled on snorting, "Yeah sure I can trust you." Buddha smirked before putting the money for the meal on the table and leading her out into the balmy summer evening. They walked in a comfortable silence hand in hand. So caught up in their thoughts neither noticed the two figures coming out of an alley until it was too late.   
  
"What do we have here?" Shoetree asked grazing a finger along Kit's jaw. Kit wrinkled her nose in response to the smell of cheep liquor rolling off of both men. "Kit, Kit, Kit what did we tell you about hanging out with this riff raff?" Shoetree tried to click his tongue in mock disappointment but only succeeded in making spittle land on Kit's cheek.   
  
She raised a hand to wipe it off glaring at Shoe and moving closer to Buddha. "What do you want Shoe?"   
"What I always have wanted. You." Shoe's hand moved from her face to her shoulder as he pulled her away from Buddha. Before either had a chance to react Buddha was being held by Frost and Shoe had covered Kit's mouth with one hand and held her close to his body with the other. "Now pretty girl we are going to have an object lesson. Maybe this time you'll get the message."   
  
They were dragged into the alley that the men had come out of moments earlier and Kit watched in horror as Frost began to trash Buddha. It wasn't a fair fight from the beginning. Frost had roughed Buddha up a bit before they made it to the alley and he was still a bit out of it. Kit watched with tears in her eyes as Buddha finally collapsed, it had to be over now right?   
  
How wrong she was Frost then began to kick and punch the already down man. Finally it was over, Frost stood up with a sick smile marring his almost cute features. "Well little brother seems that the girl is all yours."  
  
"Well you know I like my girls willing. I can wait till she is willing. Don't worry princess he won't die. At least, not yet. Just remember this is only the beginning. Tell that little brother of yours to watch his back." Shoe's smile was almost evil as he let Kit go. Both Shoetree and Frost walked out of the alley leaving Kit and an unconscious Buddha behind. 


	11. Wellllll

Kit sat holding Buddha's hand. It had been two days since they had been attacked by the Johansen's and he hadn't woken up yet. "Buddha, I am so sorry. I should have told you about them before we left. It's all my fault you're like this. Buddha I love you, please you have to wake up. I can't survive this without you."  
  
"What the heck are you doing here?" Kit turned toward the angry voice and was surprised to see Josh standing in the doorway glaring at her. "Haven't you done enough? It's your fault he is like this. If he hadn't taken you out he wouldn't be here." The anger and distress showed plainly on Josh's face but Kit only heard the anger. "You don't deserve to be in here, you almost killed him. Get out."  
  
Josh roughly grabbed her arm and pulled her up, Kit flinched as he pushed into her old bruises. He pushed her toward the door. Kit felt tears well in her eyes as she looked back at the bed before Josh obstructed her view. "I said to get out."  
  
Kit left then not wanting to let Josh see her cry. She made it to her room and threw herself on her bed before letting out her tears in waves of guilt and fear. She didn't hear Karen knock on the door or Wil stick his head in to call her to dinner.  
  
When Cray came in to check on her, he found she was no longer crying. He looked at her taking in the puffy eyes, disheveled hair, and hiccups from the tears, before sitting down on the bed and gathering her into a hug, "Kit, Josh is just frustrated and worried about Buddha. He doesn't know what he is saying. When Buddha wakes up I am sure he will asks for forgiveness for the way he has been acting."  
  
"No he won't. Josh never asks for forgiveness or apologizes for anything even when he is wrong. Don't give me that crap." Kit swiped at her eyes, "I can't be here anymore Cray. I am going home."  
  
"Kit you can't just leave, what if he wakes up? You need to be here for him." Cray tried to reason.  
  
"I am the reason he is like that, hopefully if I leave the Johansen's won't come after you guys." Kit stood up and pulled out her carpetbag. "I am going home. If he wakes up tell him I'll be here as soon as possible then come get me. I have something to tell him and he needs to know."  
  
Cray nodded sadly as he watched her pack her belongings, "What is so important?"  
  
Kit shook her head, "He needs to know first."  
  
"Do you want me to go out with you?"  
  
"No I don't want to cause you to get hurt cause of me. I'll be fine. I'll leave in the morning before everyone wakes up. Don't tell anyone I have gone till they are up okay?" Kit's voice quavered as she spoke.  
  
"Kit you need to know I don't agree with you on this." Cray started to protest.  
  
"I know you don't but I need you to do this for me. I can't stay here it is too dangerous."  
  
"Kit we can protect you. Please stay around till Buddha wakes up." Cray tried one last time to get her to stay.  
  
"No I won't have any more people hurt because of me. I am going. Just come and get me when he wakes up okay?"  
  
"Fine, but I am going out with you. There is no way you are walking out to the farm on your own."  
  
Kit sighed and nodded, "Fine we'll leave tomorrow morning early."  
  
"I'll meet you in the hall at dawn okay?"  
  
"Yeah sure. See you in the morning."  
  
Kit watched Cray leave before changing for bed. She didn't fall asleep till late that night, spending most of the night tossing and turning trying to come to terms with life as it was. Here she was pregnant, and now it looked like she was going to have to raise her baby on her own. She began to cry again, knowing that if Sid found out she would out of the house before she could blink.  
  
She was up and ready long before Cray softly knocked on her door the next morning. For the most part the trip was completed in silence and the pace they kept had them arriving at the house before lunch.  
  
The dogs barked out a greeting as the two came walking up. Both Cray and Kit rubbed the dogs' heads and patted them, before moving closer to the house. Sid had come out of the barn when the dogs had begun warning of visitors and wiped off his hand on a cloth as the two walked into the yard.  
  
"Morning Son, Ami. What brings you out to the farm?" Sid cut through the pleasantries in his normal abrupt manner. "I thought you wouldn't be back for another month."  
  
"Well Pa there was some trouble in town and Ki-" Cray stopped himself short knowing how his father felt about the nicknames they used. "I mean Ami felt safer coming home."  
  
"What sort of trouble." Sid asked as they began walking toward the house. Before either Kit or Cray could answer him the three girls came running out of the house, attacking both Kit and Cray in a shower of hugs and questions. "Girls" Sid's stern voice cut through the girlish voices, "I was talking to them. Go back in and tell Rose that they are here."  
  
Kit looked up from where she was talking with Heather, "I'll go in with them Sid and leave you and Crale to talk." Kit didn't wait for permission and lead the girls in answering their questions and listening to their tales from the past month.  
  
"Well come out to the barn then you can help me with the chores and tell me why you brought Ami back to the farm." Sid motioned his son and the two men walked to the barn as Cray began to explain why they had come out to the farm.  
  
"Like I said we ran into trouble in town. One of the Johansen boys has his eye on Ami. Ami didn't exactly welcome his advances and they threatened Ami as well as Jeremy and the rest of us unless Ami agreed to date the one boy. Well Ami and Jeremy were coming home from dinner a couple nights ago and they were attacked. Jeremy hasn't woken up yet and Josh is taking it really hard. The doctor expects him to pull through. Ami thinks that her being out here will prevent the rest of us from getting hurt. I couldn't stop her from coming out. Hopefully it will do her some good."  
  
"It might, I guess the girls will at least get her attention moved somewhere else. Anything happen with the Johansen boys?"  
  
"No sir we took it to the sheriff but they denied it. He says that unless Jeremy can identify them as his attackers then he can't do anything. Don't know why they don't take Ami's word, she was there too."  
  
"Don't know boy. Well I am sure your ma would like to see you before you head back."  
  
"Yes sir, I have to head back soon though, I work on Monday." Sid just nodded as they went into the house.  
  
Rose had set out some food for the men and shooed the young girls off to play as she went up with Kit to unpack. Kit didn't say much just that Buddha was hurt and that she had come home to be safe. Rose didn't question her explanation figuring that she would say something when she was ready. Cray came up before he left to say good bye and promised Kit to come for her when Buddha woke up.  
  
For the next two weeks Kit worked around the house falling into the chores she had done all winter. While she tried to act normal around the girls at night she cried herself to sleep and each morning she was up early with morning sickness. As the days past she rarely talked unless spoken to and even when she smiled it never reached her eyes. While neither Rose or Sid said anything to the girl it was obvious that they were waiting for her to "get back to normal."  
  
Finally Sid had enough and confronted Kit one morning as she helped with the chores.  
  
"Ami this has gone on enough. You decided to come here and now you have to deal with the consequences. This entire going around sighing and moping is doing neither you nor Jeremy any good. So at least try to act more like an adult."  
  
Kit looked at her uncle in surprise, then quickly shuttered her eyes to hide the anger that she was feeling, "Yes sir."  
  
Sid nodded feeling pretty proud of himself, and as Kit began to interact more with the world around the farm he felt he had done the right thing.  
  
It was about a week later when the dogs began to bark a warning of a visitor. Kit came out of her old house, which she had been cleaning in anticipation of the guys' return at the end of the month. She raised a hand to see who was coming, she then broke into a run after seeing it was Cray.  
  
"Is he awake? Please tell me he is awake." She said as they walked closer to the main farmhouse.  
  
"Yeah he is awake, don't jerk my arm off. I told you I would come and get you when he woke up didn't I?"  
  
"So is he asking for me? Or doesn't he want to see me?" Kit's face fell when Cray was slow to answer.  
  
"He wants to see you Kit; but Kit you need to know that not everything is okay. The doctor says that he is healthy for a guy who hasn't been awake for almost a month. But he is asking for you. I promised to bring you back. He's already talked to the Sheriff, and told him that it was Shoe and Frost. So it is safe for you to come back and everything."  
  
"Let me go get my stuff and we can head back." Kit called out over her shoulder as she ran to get her already packed bag.  
  
Sid came out of the barn and went up to his son watching Kit run into the house. "What is this all about boy?"  
  
"Jeremy is asking to see Ami. I promised him that I would bring her." Cray said as he turned to talk to his father.  
  
"Why did you do that? She was just getting back to normal and you are taking her back. I won't let her go." Sid set his jaw as he spoke to his oldest son, neither saw Kit coming up till she spoke up.  
  
"Uncle Sid Jeremy is my boyfriend, practically my fiancé. I need to be there. It is safe for me to go back I am going."  
  
"No you ain't. This business with you and that boy has been going on enough. I am not gonna allow you to go back into town."  
  
"You aren't going to allow me to go back into town? How are you going to stop me?"  
  
"I am your guardian and what I say goes."  
  
"I am almost an adult I can make my own decisions about where I go and who I spend time with. Plus I need to talk to him and you can't stop me from going."  
  
"Not while you live under my roof and you eat from my labor it ain't."  
  
"Then maybe I should move out from under your roof."  
  
"You leave this farm Ami and you can never come back."  
  
"Fine then can stay in my parents' house."  
  
"No you won't that is part of my land until William comes of age. You won't be able to set foot on this land ever again."  
  
"Fine then I don't need to stay were I am not wanted." Kit turned on her heel before Cray could catch her and started walking in the general direction of Lincoln.  
  
"Boy she isn't allowed back you hear?" Sid spoke through clenched teeth.  
  
"I can't believe you are doing this, she just wants to see her boyfriend. You are acting like she wants to leave for Chicago or something."  
  
"Boy you are on dangerous ground." Sid said turning to his son.  
  
"I am going to finish this. She is right you know, you have been totally unreasonable. It wasn't as if she was left to live on her own, but you have treated her as if she is selling her body on the streets. All she is doing is selling newspapers, something you have let us boys do since we were old enough to do it."  
  
"That's enough Crale." Sid looked as if he was ready to punch his son, "If that is the way you feel none of you are welcome back on this farm as long as I live. You are no longer my son, she is no longer my niece. I have no sons." Sid spoke harshly before turning his back on his son and walking into the house.  
  
Cray had no response but stood watching his father's retreating back. If his father wanted them out of his life then they would respect his wishes. Leaving behind his sister and mother and the girls would be hard but what could be done? Slowly as the meaning sunk in he turned to follow Kit toward Lincoln. 


	12. Going back

Neither Kit nor Cray said much as they walked back into town. They both were lost in their own thoughts. Kit absentmindedly rubbed her stomach thinking of how she was going to tell Buddha the news that he was going to be a father. It had happened all so suddenly. It had been the last night at the farm and Kit couldn't sleep so she had gone out to the yard and was swinging on an old rope swing. Buddha had heard her get up and followed her out. They had talked for a while but soon talking had lead to kissing and one thing led to another. Kit felt her face flush as she remembered that night. They hadn't done anything like that since then, and Kit couldn't believe that it only had taken on night. She wondered what Buddha's reaction was going to be, would he be happy or would he be angry?  
  
Cray's thoughts were focused on Lincoln also, he was worried about telling Swan they weren't allowed to go home at the end of the summer. Kit would probably stay with Karen and Joel but where were they going to stay? Staying on the college campus would be out of the question when classes started, and there wasn't room at the Jacobson's house. Maybe a room at a boarding house would be open, but what was Swan going to do for a job? Jobs weren't the most plentiful thing in town at the moment, even Cray wasn't sure how long his job would be there. Maybe going to Omaha or even Chicago would be a good idea, there had to be jobs there especially for guys like him and Swan.  
  
"Cray, um I am wondering you never said how Buddha was besides the fact he was awake." Kit finally spoke nervously playing with the hem of her shirt.  
  
"Well I said the doctor was happy he was as healthy as he was for being asleep for so long. But Kit the doctor doesn't think he is going to be able to walk again. Something happened to his back and Doc thinks it is permanent. It might not be but Kit he can't feel anything below his knees."  
  
Kit's mouth was caught in a small "oh" as she took it all in. Cray felt bad "Sorry I just blurted it out like that. Why do you wanna know?"  
  
Kit swallowed a bit thinking about her baby. There was no way she could raise a baby on her own, but if Buddha couldn't work what was going to happen. "Nothing I was just wondering, so why does he wanna talk to me?"  
  
Cray closed his eyes before responding, "I can't say Kit. He asked me not to." That was a lie, Buddha had actually asked him to tell Kit for him, but there was no way Kit was going to be told through her cousin that her boyfriend was going to break up with her.  
  
"Oh okay, is Josh doing any better, is he still mad at me?" Kit wrapped her arms around her waist waiting to hear the answer, dreading it.  
  
"Um he isn't as mad but Kit you don't want to cross him." Cray put an arm around her shoulder, "Just remember that Swan and me are here for you okay?"  
  
Kit just nodded as she felt a tear make its way down her face. She quickly wiped it away not wanting Cray to see it and wonder.  
  
They finished the walk in silence and all too soon they were at the house. Kit stood outside looking up at the window where she knew Buddha was behind, in a bed paralyzed. Cray gave her shoulder one last squeeze as he led her into the house. Karen greeted them with hugs. "Kit I can't believe you are finally here, come on we'll go put your bag back in your room. We were so worried when you left. And when Cray came back saying you were staying at the farm I knew something wasn't right. Come on we'll go up to your room and talk about it."  
  
"Karen, I really want to go say hello to Buddha then go lay down for a nap." Kit said struggling to keep her eyes open.  
  
Karen nodded as she took Kit's bag, "Here hun I'll go take this to your room and you go see Buddha. Josh is still out selling papers so you have some time with him alone. We'll talk after" A toddler's crying stopped Karen mid sentence. "Oh the children, Kit wait a long time after you get married to have children you never have a moments peace till afterwards." Karen spoke as she went up the stairs to check on the babies.  
  
"Too late for that." Kit mumbled under breath.  
  
"Too late for what?" Cray asked coming out of the kitchen with some bread smothered in butter.  
  
"Too late for me to take a nap, if I do I'll never sleep tonight." Kit said the first thing that came to mind.  
  
"Yeah probably, so you going to just stand in the hallway or are you going to go say hello to Buddha, I brought you back here for a reason didn't I?" Cray said around a mouthful of food.  
  
"Fine, fine I'm going." Kit slowly trudged up the stairs her feet feeling as if they weighed eighty pounds each. Time to face the music, hopefully no one would interrupt them before she was done telling him everything.  
  
She knocked on the door and waited until Buddha called out "Come in." Her first thought when she saw him was this had to be a joke. The haggard skeleton in the bed couldn't be her boyfriend. He had huge circles under his brown eyes, and his blonde hair looked as if it hadn't been combed in months. His eyes softened a bit when he saw who his visitor was and he motioned her to sit down. "I didn't think you would get here so fast." He sucked in a deep breath as if trying to gain strength to fight a huge fight. "How are things at the farm?"  
  
Kit shrugged, "Okay I guess. So how are you doing?"  
  
"I've been better. Kit we have to talk."  
  
"About what?" Kit answered hesitantly.  
  
"Kit the doctor says I am never gonna walk again."  
  
"Yeah Cray said that, but the doctor can be wrong."  
  
"I don't think he is wrong. Kit you can't live in a limbo hoping that I will be able to walk someday. You need a guy who can work and support you, not one who is going to be stuck in bed for the rest of his life."  
  
"What are you talking about Buddha, I love you and we can work through this." Kit went to kiss him but he turned his head away.  
  
"No Kit I have been thinking about this and you don't need to live with a cripple. You deserve better."  
  
"But I want you not someone else." Kit protested.  
  
"Well I don't want you any more Kit. I don't love you anymore." Buddha closed his eyes as he said that he didn't love Kit, and didn't see her face fall or the tears fill her eyes.  
  
"Why not? What did I do that made you stop loving me?" Kit pleaded, wanting Buddha to take it back and comfort her.  
  
Before Buddha could give any answer Josh spoke out, "You are the reason he is in that bed that's what you did to kill off his love."  
  
Kit sat back if struck, her eyes begging Buddha to say something. Buddha just nodded in acceptance of what Josh had said. Josh took this as agreement and grabbed Kit by the arm pulling her up. "I told you to leave him alone. Get out of here Amelia Oberg you are no longer welcome."  
  
Kit looked from one brother to the other as the words sunk in. She then picked up her skirt and ran from the room, slamming the door on her way out. Swan was in the hall as Kit came running out of the door. He caught her as she tripped on one of the baby toys. "Lemme go, Let me go." Kit beat her fists into Swans chest as he held onto her tightly. He held her close as she began to cry, gently and slowly leading her down the hallway to her room. "I can't do this, I just can't do this. This wasn't supposed to happen, it should have been me." Kit sobbed as Swan lay her down on the bed and pulled the covers up to her shoulders.  
  
She began to yawn between sobs, "How am I going to raise a baby on my own?" Kit's eyes closed as she fell asleep. Swan froze above her when she said baby, the color draining from his face. Softly he exited the room and went in search of Cray. He found Cray in the kitchen making a sandwich.  
  
"Cray we got a bit of a problem." He said after checking to see if anyone was in listening distance.  
  
"I take it Jeremy broke up with her?" Cray asked as he sat down.  
  
"Well yeah, but that ain't our problem." Swan paused taking a deep breath, before speaking in a low voice. "Kit's pregnant."  
  
"What!" Cray choked on his sandwich.  
  
"Kit's pregnant, she was crying and stuff so I put her in bed. Right before she fell asleep she said 'How am I gonna raise a baby on my own?' If she has to raise a baby I would think that means she is pregnant."  
  
"You think? Now what do we do? She can't stay here. The rumors that would fly as she started to get big would ruin her. And there is no way that Jeremy is gonna marry her."  
  
"I wouldn't want him to marry her, not now."  
  
"Yeah I got to agree with you there. But we got an even bigger problem, Pa kicked us out for bringing Kit here. We don't have anywhere to go at the end of the summer."  
  
It was Swan's turn to be surprised. "So what are we gonna do?"  
  
"I was thinking of going east, maybe Chicago or something. But we can't do that and leave Kit here to face the vultures that call themselves ladies."  
  
Neither young man spoke as they thought about how to deal with this new development.  
  
"Why not take her with us? We can say she is our widowed sister or something." Swan mused aloud.  
  
"What do you mean?" Cray looked curious.  
  
"Well if we take her along and say she is our sister no one is gonna question why she is pregnant and even if we can just keep going till we find some where to stay. That way no one talks and who cares what the old biddies here think." Swan's eyes lit up with anticipation.  
  
Cray slowly nodded in agreement, as he stood up. "Well if we do this we'll have to leave soon. There is no way we can keep this secret if we don't leave soon. I am going to go check on Kit."  
  
Cray walked up the stairs careful to avoid the room where his former friends were sleeping. He knocked softly on Kit's door and entered when he heard a soft "Come in."  
  
"Hey Kitten how you doing?"  
  
"Okay I guess, you knew that he was going to do that didn't you?" Kit looked at Cray accusingly. Cray hung his head but nodded. "Why didn't you warn me?"  
  
"Because he wanted me to tell you not to come back at all, but I told him you needed to be told in person."  
  
"Well I guess I am glad he told me, but it hurts so much. Why did he have to break up with me? It isn't like being confined to a wheelchair is the end of the world."  
  
"No it isn't but to him it is. Kit he wanted to be able to provide for you and any of your kids and he doesn't think he can do that in a wheelchair."  
  
Kit's head went down and Cray saw a tear escape her eye before she caught it with a swipe of her hand. "What's wrong Kit? You can tell me."  
  
"You promise not to get too mad?" Kit looked up hesitantly.  
  
Cray nodded and smiled reassuringly, "Well it's like this, before we came here for the summer I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk. Well Jeremy followed me and well we started kissing and one thing lead to another and," Kit's voice became very quiet "I'm pregnant."  
  
Cray sat not saying anything, Kit looked at him expecting some sort of outburst, "Well say something Cray, I know we messed up but what am I supposed to do now?"  
  
"Well Swan and I talked about it, and we thought maybe you could come east with us. We could say you are our sister or something and maybe we can look for a nice family that wants a baby and you can have your baby then give it up for adoption or something."  
  
"Who says I am giving it up for adoption?" Kit sat back angrily.  
  
"Kit you are 15, and no matter how old you act you can't raise a baby on your own. It would be easier for everyone if you found a nice family."  
  
"I am not giving up my baby." Kit sat with her arms crossed.  
  
"Fine we'll talk about it later. Swan is going to look into train prices, we might end up train hoping you think you can handle it?" Kit nodded. "Okay we're looking at leaving in the next week so be ready. It will be pretty quick like. We can't let anyone know we are going got it?"  
  
"Yeah I got it. I'll be ready and everything. So where is our first stop?"  
  
"Chicago, then further east. I think New York City would be nice."  
  
"Yeah it would be. Well I need some sleep. Thanks for letting me go along Cray. I won't be any trouble I promise."  
  
Cray smirked as he made his way to the door, "When are you anything but?"  
  
Kit let out an outraged squeak as she threw the pillow as hard as possible at the closing door. She smiled for the first time that evening as she pulled the covers off her still flat stomach. "You ever act like your Uncle Cray and I will disown you." She then pulled the covers back to her shoulders and closed her eyes, to enjoy the most night's sleep she had since she realized she was pregnant. 


	13. Forward to the Future

Disclaimer: Since there aren't any newsies actually in this story, I really don't need a disclaimer, but I don't own them, not even the DVD. I do own my characters, but not the people they are based on, Craig and Crale are their own people who don't even know this story exists. Here read the story and don't forget to Review.  
  
A boxcar, Kit couldn't believe she was sleeping in a boxcar. Well she wasn't exactly sleeping, more like shivering against Swan's back trying not to think about the past year. The past year had been rough, no it had been more than rough, it had been near impossible. They had made it to Chicago, but there hadn't been many jobs for the guys there. So they moved on to Cincinnati. By then she had reached the large stage of pregnancy and getting a job would be impossible.  
  
The guys had found work at a bar, being bouncers. If there was a fight they would break it up and because of this many nights they had come back with bruises and cuts galore. The owner of the bar had grudgingly allowed them to stay in rooms above the bar, with the condition that Kit wasn't allowed downstairs during business hours. T  
  
he guys tried to hide the worst of it, unsuccessfully. Kit knew when they had each broken their noses, a week apart. And she couldn't help but hear the screams and threats made both in the bar and in the hallway each night. She tried to drown it out by covering her head with pillows, but the sounds, and smells of the bar made their way in past all of her defensives.  
  
Then there was the baby, her labor and delivery had gone smoothly. She hadn't even gotten to hold him. The midwife had whisked him off to the waiting arms of his new parents after he had been cleaned up. Some rich couple that couldn't have children and were willing to pay top dollar for a baby of their own. But they had never paid, instead they claimed she had given them him, her little boy.  
  
Kit quickly wiped at the tears coming down her cheeks. It had been to hard to stay in Cincinnati, so the guys drew straws to see who would stay and who would go with her. Swan had drawn the straw, and much to her relief had taken her away from Ohio. Cray had promised to stay in contact, but after arriving in Baltimore they had received back their letter, with the note, Addressee Unknown.  
  
At first Baltimore had seemed the perfect place, being a newsie again had been just the balm she needed. She had stopped breaking into tears at each mother and child she would see. She had started to date Chair, life seemed to be going better. But with the coming of spring came Chair's temper. He had hit her before, then apologized, saying he loved her and he didn't know what had come over him. Kit tried to break it off, but he had threatened Swan. She told Swan but he just pushed it off, scoffing at the idea that Chair was being possessive. Then it had happened.  
  
Kit sat up then and moved to the other side of the car. Swan snorted and rolled over to his other side. She felt her lips twitch at the beginning of a smile. Swan had been her hero, he had saved her from the demons that haunted her dreams, but even he couldn't be everywhere and know everything. He didn't know how memories of that day haunted her to the point of madness. The feel of the hands, the smell of the alley and their breath, what they had said to her; it all stayed just below the surface of her thoughts. As long as she was busy she didn't think about it.  
  
But at night, when she couldn't sleep the memories would wash over her. The incident would be played in slow motion. What she had missed blacking out, Swan and the doctor had unintentionally filled in. She knew what had happened to her. And she had just shut down. It was just easier to act like she couldn't remember what happened. And Swan had been all to happy to let her "forget". He thought maybe going home would be a good idea; but Kit didn't want to go home so when they got to Philadelphia she had "woken up".  
  
Now they were heading to New York City. Kit was nervous, the entire experience had been nerve racking, but this was the worst. They knew the evil that a person could inflict on another human being without a second thought. They knew to be careful. Hopefully that would be enough, hopefully they wouldn't have to run again. Kit was tired of running. She couldn't go home, not after everything she had gone through, but she was tired of moving and going from place to place. She wanted to stay somewhere longer than 6 months.  
  
Her thoughts were broken as Swan began to wake up. The train was slowing down, this was it. "Kit you ready?" Swan came over to her concern lacing his voice.  
  
"Guess so, at least as ready as I ever would be."  
  
"Okay lets go."  
  
The two jumped from the boxcar as it came into the train yard, and took off running into the dark of a sleeping city. No idea what was coming, no idea that life always went in a circle and sometime it is just easier to fight then to let go.  
  
A/N: Well I have reached the end of my story. Or is this the beginning? Anyway I found I couldn't do the last part of the story justice, since I have already explained pretty much everything in the other stories in this series. So Snapshots of Memories is done. Flame me for ending it like this, if you want, I need some heat in this stupid building they dare call a dormitory. For those who are just joining me in my little adventure story. Snapshots of Memories is the first in a series of stories, most of which have already been completed and posted here. The next to read would be Another Fine Day. I want to thank Kora for reviewing almost every chapter as it has come out, thanks for the encouragement. 


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